1. WELCOME!!!! 4 th Grade Curriculum Night at Whitlow Elementary Miss Grindle, Mrs. Mahoney, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Ridings, Mrs. Vaughan, Mrs. Whitlatch, and Mrs. Willingham

2. Index Cards For all individual questions about your child, please fill out the index card found on each childs desk. Please include: –Name and your question. –I will get back to you as soon as possible!

3. BEFORE YOU LEAVE…. SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER!! We need parent volunteers to come in and help during our reading centers!! 1:30-1:50 The kids LOVE it!!!

4. Grade PLUS 4 th Grade is very excited to be part of the Grade PLUS reporting system again during the 2011-2012 school year! Take a look to learn how your child will be graded this year. Grade Plus 2011-2012

5. Grading and Reporting We will use two types of classroom assessments: formative and summative. Formative grades are daily grades that will receive a 1, 2, 3, or 4. Summative grades are percentage grades that are strictly based on county- wide assessments. Sample Report Card

6. Summative Assessment Retests Allowed ONE retest for each summative assessment (Math, Reading, & ELA). Not Science and Social Studies! Students eligible for a retest must complete a retake practice assignment. Students who receive a 70% or lower are automatically eligible for a retest. Students whose summative grades do not reflect daily grades will also be eligible for a retest. Students will receive the higher of the two grades, not the average of the two. The purpose of allowing a retest is to ensure mastery of standards.

7. School Hours 8:20 AM - 3:00 PM Students may be dropped off in the rear of the building in the car rider line no earlier than 7:50 A.M. After 8:20, parents must take students to the front office to be signed in. No check outs after 2:45 P.M. School will begin dismissing at 3:00 P.M.

8. ATTENDANCE An absence must have a written excuse within 5 days to be excused. Students will have 5 school days to complete missed work or 3 days per day for multiple day absences. –Example-If a child is absent 3 days, he/she will have 9 days to make up work. The attendance line is 678-965-5091 or e-mail hromano@forsyth.k12.ga.us

9. Breakfast and Lunch Money Students may eat breakfast at school every day. Breakfast is $ 1.25. Students will have six choices for lunch most days. Lunch is $2.15 and $3.25 for guests. Money in a students account can be spent in any way the child chooses unless you put a block on the account.

10. Ice Cream Unless you have a block on the account, your child may purchase ice cream daily. –The cost for ice cream this year is $0.75. –If you have a block and would like your child to buy ice cream, please send in money on those days.

11. Guests for Lunch According to the Forsyth County Wellness Policy, all snacks and food brought to school for a class must be commercially prepared. We have many students with allergies and need to be able to verify ingredients in food products. Parents should enter and exit from the door located next to the front office. You may wait for us by the stage. Please do not wait outside the classroom. You may only have your child sit with you at the parents table. Sorry…no friends allowed!

12. Birthday Celebrations All birthday celebrations will take place during lunch time. The items can be brought up to the school and dropped off or you can bring them to lunch. No homemade items. Must be INDIVIDUALLY PACKAGED and store-bought. Please no pictures!!!

13. Class Parties We will be having 2 class parties this year. –Winter break and end of the year. –I will be in need of volunteers to help at these events. You will receive more information from me and our room mom about the parties and activities.

14. Volunteers School Volunteer Policies: –No more than 1 hour per day and should be scheduled with the teacher in advance. –Younger siblings should not accompany volunteers to classrooms. Volunteers I Need: – I need volunteers Monday-Thursday from 1:30-1:50 for reading. – Please email me if you would like to volunteer one day or SIGN UP tonight!!! No volunteers on Early Release or Testing Days. Hours are from 9-2:30.

15. DAILY SCHEDULE 7:50 – 8:30 Morning Work/Announcements 8:30 – 9:15 HOWL Time 9:15 – 10:00 Science/SS 10:00 – 10:45 Specials 10:45– 12:00 Math 12:00-12:10 Independent Reading 12:10 – 1:05 Recess/Lunch 12:30 – 1:00 Reading Response 1:00 – 2:20 Literacy 2:20 – 3:00 Writing

16. Special s Session 5: January 26 – March 5 Art, PE, Art, PE, Art Session 6: March 6 – April 18 PE, Music, PE, Music, PE Session 7: April 19 – May 25 Tech, PE, Tech, PE, Tech Session 1: August 11 – September 16 Counseling (every day) Session 2: September 19 – October 21 PE, Art, PE, Art, PE Session 3: October 24 – December 5 Music, P.E., Music, P.E., Music Session 4: December 6 – January 25 PE, Tech, PE, Tech, PE

17. Snack We eat snack daily after Specials. Please send your child with a healthy snack each day. Please leave candy and soft drinks at home.

18. School and Class RULES 1. Be Ready! 2. Be Respectful! 3. Be Responsible! 4. Be Safe! Hands and feet to yourself One behind the other Walk silently

19. Consequences The first time a child breaks a rule in the classroom, he/she receives a verbal warning. The next time the child breaks the rule, a tally is given. 1 st tally mark – 2 Wisdom Walks 2 nd tally mark – 4 Wisdom Walks 3 rd tally mark – 4 Wisdom Walks and parent contact. For each missing homework assignment, a tally is given One lap per missing assignment.

20. AGENDAS Each student should have an agenda to keep track of daily assignments. Check agenda every night to help the students learn responsibility for completing homework.

21. HOMEWORK Homework will be assigned Monday -Thursday. Homework assignments should take approximately 40 minutes each night. Homework not completed will need to be completed the following night in addition to all other assignments. A Loose in the Lab science experiment will be used to motivate students to complete all assignments for the month! Check out the 4 th Grade Website for homework information. Whitlow Home Site

22. Friday Folders Your child will bring home a Friday Folder at the end of each week with graded work, a brief conduct report, and any notes/fliers. Important work that needs to be signed and returned back to school will also be sent home in the folder. Sign and return the conduct sheet on the back side of the folder each Friday. Do not remove it from the folder! This will help me to know that youre aware your childs behavior report and graded work for the week.

23. SCIENCE Earth Science - Solar System - Weather Physical Science - Force & Motion - Simple Machines - Light & Sound Life Science - Water Cycle - Ecosystems

24. SOCIAL STUDIES Map skills/Geography The Ancient Americas Explorations and Encounters Our Colonial Heritage The American Revolution The New Nation Our Nation Grows War Divides the Nation

25. MATH Houghton Mifflin program includes: Place Value & Rounding Multiplication Division Algebra Geometry Problem Solving

26. Reading & ELA Curriculum that will be covered: Leveled Readers Spelling Grammar Reading comprehension Literature Circles Vocabulary Fluency The integration of reading, writing, listening, grammar and speaking are fundamental to learning and thinking.

27. Students will be involved in Writers Workshop daily. During this time student will work on writing activities to boost their skills as thinkers and communicators. Creative Writing Journal Writing Writing Process Writing Across the Curriculum Modeled Writing: mini-lessons on narrative, persuasive, informational and response to literature. Writing

28. 4 th Grade Practice Writing Test Will be held in March. We will use the Early Release Days of each month to prepare the students for both this and the 5 th Grade Writing Test. Timed sessions for Brainstorming, Drafting, Publishing, etc.

29. 4 TH GRADE ACTIVITIES Chorus Art Club Spelling Bee Technology Fair Girls on the Run Girls/Boys Scouts

30. For More Information Visit the county web page (www.forsyth.k12.ga.us)www.forsyth.k12.ga.us) There you will find helpful information about Forsyth Countys Grading and Reporting. Also visit my website and the grade level website!!! Whitlow Home Site

31. We commit to making a HIGH Involved Meaning ful Positive Advanci ng Collabor ative Team in the lives of our Students, staff, community members, and their families.